video nasties

Admittedly, most of the original so-called "video nasties" have been released in Britain by now (usually not uncut though). Did any of you get into these flicks while all that scandal was going on during the 1980's and early 1990's? I'm just wondering what sort of remembrances you might have from the era. I've seen a fair number of the movies myself (not because they were on the list, but just because I'm a horror fan), and I thought it might be interesting to see if any of you on either side of the pond had your interest piqued by them. I just think the whole phenomenon is fascinating because it seems such complete fearmongering idiocy to make the sale and possession of such titles illegal.

Here's a list of the titles that were "official" video nasties:

ABSURD THE ANTHROPOPHAGOUS BEAST AXE THE BEAST IN HEAT THE BEYOND BLOODBATH BLOOD FEAST BLOOD RITES BLOODY MOON THE BOGEY MAN THE BURNING CANNIBAL APOCALYPSE CANNIBAL FEROX CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST CANNIBAL MAN CANNIBAL TERROR CONTAMINATION DEAD AND BURIED DEATH TRAP DEEP RIVER SAVAGES DELIRIUM DEVIL HUNTER DON'T GO IN THE HOUSE* DON'T GO IN THE WOODS DON'T GO NEAR THE PARK DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT DRILLER KILLER THE EVIL DEAD EVILSPEAK EXPOSE FACES OF DEATH FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE FOREST OF FEAR FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN FROZEN SCREAM* FUNHOUSE GESTAPO'S LAST ORGY THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK INFERNO I MISS YOU. HUGS & KISSES* I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE KILLER NUN LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT LIVING DEAD AT MANCHESTER MORGUE. MADHOUSE MARDI GRAS MASSACRE NIGHTMARE MAKER NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN. NIGHT OF THE BLOODY APES NIGHT OF THE DEMON PRANKS PRISONER OF THE CANNIBAL GOD REVENGE OF THE BOGEY MAN THE SLAYER SNUFF SS EXPERIMENT CAMP SHOGUN ASSASSIN* TENEBREA TERROR EYES THE TOOLBOX MURDERS UNHINGED THE WEREWOLF AND THE YETI THE WITCH WHO CAME FROM THE SEA WOMEN BEHIND BARS* ZOMBIE CREEPING FLESH ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS

His Holiness, The Pope wrote: GESTAPO'S LAST ORGY

haven't heard of any of those listed, but that one has the sounds of a total romantic comedy, did Hugh Grant star in it?

JHC

68Pontiac wrote:

His Holiness, The Pope wrote: GESTAPO'S LAST ORGY

haven't heard of any of those listed, but that one has the sounds of a total romantic comedy, did Hugh Grant star in it?

JHC

I like also killer nun

Well I saw "Evil Dead" (of course) and the "House by the Cemetary".

A friend of mine ordered a DVD-Box with 5 or 6 of those nasties... I don't know if I really want to see that...

The Exorcist was on the list too wasn't it?

You mean the Rob Lowe sex tape didn't make the list?

What about N.Order live 05' - that wasn't too hot

You forgot Meatloaf`s Dead Ringer For Love video...

the last house on the left is truly heinous. in a good way.

I heard of Driller Killer and Shogun Assassin. Never seen both flicks, though.

Spotnick wrote:

AgentWood wrote: the last house on the left is truly heinous. in a good way.

I don't remember the movie at all, but I'll never forget the way the killer is killed at the end... oh no, NEVER ;)

Ouch.

you think that's bad, watch i spit on your grave. the scene in the bathtub will have you crossing your legs!

Spotnick wrote: Never heard of "video nasties"... wtf?

In the early 1980s the UK (Conservative) government over-reacted to tabloid "FURY" about easy availability at video stores of material unsuitable for "right-minded people" but as usual played the "our children are at risk" card.

The British Board Of Film Censors [BBFC] now had to review for public consumption not just films but their subsequent video release too.

So a BANNED list came into being for "video nasties" as the newspapers called them.

It wasn't just gore, sex was included as well, most notoriously "Ai No Corrida" aka In The Realm Of The Senses". Explicit sex, oral, penetration - including an egg - it's all there on the screen. It's actually a compelling depiction of obsession, based on a real event and it doesn't have a happy ending. (One of the participants has an appendage cut off...I'm not saying which one)

Anyway, off the top of my head I've seen these.

CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST DRILLER KILLER THE EVIL DEAD +EVIL DEAD 2 +ARMY OF DARKNESS I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE KILLER NUN NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN. NIGHT OF THE DEMON SS EXPERIMENT CAMP ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS

Some are hilarious, some ridiculous, some eg I Spit On Your Grave (despite the bath scene and similar eeuw! scenes) are just plain exploitative abuse-and-retribution with no redeeming features. Some can be seen in retrospect as analogies for society's ills (eg Romero's ".....Of The Dead" films).

Evil Dead, tho...scary, funny and sickening at the same time and great fun. And Cannibal Holocaust was ahead of its time on special effects - people today still claim it was actualite. Hope that hasn't spoiled it for anyone who has yet to see it!

Would love to see GESTAPO'S LAST ORGY. I can hear Reagan turning in his grave at the thought (and Thatcher, and Bush, if they ferchristsake weren't still alive).

That list I posted isn't the best since it doesn't show alternate titles. Didn't know that In the Realm of the Senses was one of them...weird movie, though. Painful ending. I think The Exorcist wasn't on the list because it had already been banned on video before 1984. Strange how a lot of really gory movies didn't make the list, like Buio Omega, Dawn of the Dead, City of the Living Dead, etc.

Of the ones on the "official list," I've seen (and own most of them) just:

The Beyond Bloodbath (aka Bay of Blood, Twitch of the Death Nerve) Blood Feast Cannibal Ferox Cannibal Holocaust The Evil Dead The Driller Killer Flesh for Frankenstein House by the Cemetery Inferno I Spit on Your Grave Last House on the Left Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (aka Let Sleeping Corpses Lie) Nightmare in a Damaged Brain Possession Tenebre Zombie Creeping Flesh (aka Hell of the Living Dead) Zombie Flesh Eaters (aka Zombi 2)

Mostly Euro-horror on that list. Can't help but think that a little xenophobic prejudice went into the making of those choices for banning.

That episode of The Young Ones about video nasties is damn funny, though.

Here's a link to a site listing info on each of the nasties, with lots of trailers and clips, too: mmm...blood lust

SHOGUN ASSASSIN?? Christ I saw that recently! Funny as fuck.Baby's pram fitted out with Boadicea-like blades on wheels. To be honest, now that I've watched EVIL DEAD 1,can't se what the fuss is about.Ban it .....is it a deterrant for conifers? WTF! I've got a grievance on any film with rape,there's no need,so I'm afraid I can't give a reasonable description of THE ACCUSED. Some cunt is bound to get a KICK OUT OF IT!

some of these films are tame compared to j-horror flicks!